Black Lights

A lot of people have heard the term black light, but not many people
understand just how black lights work,
or what they are used for. The term black light is such because the light
that emits from these bulbs is so insignificant that it almost appears
as if no light is coming out at all. The cause for this low level light
is because of a very long ultraviolet wave that emits from it, and the
fact that the casing for black lights consist
of a dark purple colored
glass, also known as Wood’s glass. While black
lights do not seem to put out much light to the naked eye, when the
light is exposed onto a bright,
fluorescent surface the results are stunning. In the 60’s and 70’s,
the discover of the black light
led to a large manufacturing of velvet posters made
with bright, fluorescent
colors. When the room was darkened and the black light turned on,
the poster would give off a brightmysterious
glow. These posters and
black lights are still sold today.

Another use for black lights is fraud prevention. Many US agents utilize
black lights to help them detect fraudulent
money or coins. Many people use these lights to authenticate bank
notes and even antiques, noting
that the light is able to pick up small cracks in antiques and
forgeries on bank notes. Another way that black lights are used is in crime
investigation. Often, black lights can pick up traces of fluids such
as blood that the normal human eye cannot. If a criminal tries to cover
his tracks by “cleaning up” the scene, a darkened room and
a black light can often still detect any traces that were left behind.
Not only do black lights create a sense of ambience and fun, they are
also useful in very important tasks as well.